Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1951-1955 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
One photo album of 35 pages of press cuttings, flyers, programmes, telegrams and one typed page
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Kenneth MacMillan was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and began ballet classes in Retford, England, in 1940. He joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet School in 1944 and later the Sadler's Wells Ballet but gave up dancing for choreography partly due to crippling stage fright. His first choreographic work was Somnambulism, created for the Sadler's Wells Ballet Choreographic Group in 1953 and he created works for both Royal Ballet companies throughout his career. He created significant works for The Stuttgart Ballet and his works are danced by ballet companies world-wide. He has also created work for television and cinema.
Kenneth MacMillan was Director of the Deutsche Oper Ballet in Berlin from 1966 to 1969, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet from 1970 to 1977 and its Principal Chroreographer from 1977 until his death. He was also Associate Director of American Ballet Theatre from 1984 to 1989, and Artistic Associate of the Houston Ballet from 1989 to 1992.
Kenneth MacMillan was knighted in 1983, and he received honorary degrees from the University of Edinburgh (1976) and the Royal College of Art (1992). His awards include the Evening Standard Ballet Award (1979); Society of West End Theatre Ballet Award, 1980 and 1983; and, posthumously, the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 1993 for The Judas Tree; the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 1993; and the Tony Award for Best Choreography in 1994 for Carousel
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
One photograph album of press cuttings including two pages of cuttings for performances of The Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella by Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1951, and then exclusively for ballets by Kenneth MacMillan from Somnambulism to House of Birds. The album includes programmes for the first performances of Somnambulism and Laiderette by the Sadler's Wells Choreographic Group, three telegrams for the first night of The Great Detective and a flyer for the first performance by Ballet Rambert of Laiderette at Sadler's Wells Theatre.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The album is generally in good condition but some of the cuttings are brittle and there is surface dust throughout the album
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- MacMillan, Kenneth (Subject)